Etymologically
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baiulus

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈbaj.jʊ.ɫʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈbaː.ju.lus][1]

Forms

baiulus m (genitive baiulī); second declension[1]

Etymology

The origin is unknown.[2][3][1] Schrijver suggests *bagjelos, with a stem *bag- perhaps related to Germanic *pak- “pack”; de Vaan thinks it may be borrowed, from Germanic or from a Celtic word that also gave Provençal ⟨baga⟩ “bundle”, and finds an Indo-European origin unlikely.[4][1] Older dictionaries compared ferō and Ancient Greek βαστάζω (bastázō, “to carry”).[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler give Plautus first, together with the verb bāiulāre “to carry”.[4][3] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It was a porter or carrier who bore loads for pay.[2][5] Gellius says the Greeks call them akhthophóroi, “burden-bearers”, and Festus that the ancients used the word for what are now called labourers.[2][5] Jerome uses it of a messenger.[7]

In medieval Latin it was the bearer of a letter, a tutor or preceptor, especially of a young prince, and a regent or governor.[8] Wiktionary also gives a steward and bailiff.[1] A Vulgar Latin *bāiulīvus, an official in charge of a castle, gave Old French baillif and English bailiff about 1300.[9] It also gave Italian baglio and Catalan batlle.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the word.[4][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a porter.[7][3]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius compares it with Greek “burden-bearers”.[5][3]
  • c. 1300 – English bailiff is recorded.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A porter, carrier.[2]
  2. A messenger; the bearer of a letter.[7][8]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A tutor, especially of a young prince.[8]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A regent, governor; a steward, bailiff.[8][1]

Word family

  • baiulō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  7. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  8. ^ a b c d Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com